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Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets grounded in Japan, U.S.

Japan’s two biggest airlines grounded their 787s after one made an emergency landing. Hours later the FAA grounded 787s in the U.S.

Passengers walk away from an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner that was forced to make an emergency landing in western Japan Wednesday. Over the next few hours, all 787s were ordered grounded in both Japan and the U.S. (KYODO / REUTERS)

By Elaine Kurtenbach and Joshua FreedAssociated Press

Wed., Jan. 16, 2013

TOKYO—In the latest blows for Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner, Japan’s two biggest airlines grounded their fleets of the new jets for safety checks Wednesday after one was forced to make an emergency landing.

Hours later, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration temporarily grounded Boeing’s most technologically advanced jetliner, declaring that the 787 cannot fly again in the United States until the risk of battery fires is addressed.

The FAA said it would work with Boeing and U.S. airlines to develop a plan to allow the Dreamliner to “resume operations as quickly and safely as possible.” United Airlines is the only U.S. carrier with 787s. It has six.

The twin blows are the latest setback for a plane that was supposed to set a new standard for jet travel but has been beset by one mishap after another.

In the latest emergency landing, All Nippon Airways said a cockpit message showed battery problems and a burning smell was detected in the cockpit and the cabin, forcing the 787 on a domestic flight to land at Takamatsu airport in western Japan.

Since its launch, which came after delays of more than three years, the 787 has been plagued by problems, among them fuel leaks and a battery fire. Japan’s ANA and Japan Airlines are major customers for the jet and among the first to fly it.

Japan’s transport ministry said it got notices from ANA, which operates 17 of the jets, and Japan Airlines, which has seven, that all their 787s would not be flying. The grounding was done voluntarily by the airlines.

In an initial statement, Boeing said: “Boeing is aware of the diversion of a 787 operated by ANA to Takamatsu in western Japan. We will be working with our customer and the appropriate regulatory agencies.”

Then, after the FAA announcement, it also said: “We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity. We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the travelling public of the 787’s safety and to return the airplanes to service.”

Shares in Boeing tumbled Wednesday after regaining some ground earlier this week. The stock closed at $74.43 (U.S.), down $2.60.

York University professor Fred Lazar told the Star’s Vanessa Lu that the Japanese airlines were acting out of abundance of caution.

“The last thing they want is another incident, whether it’s minor or not, within a short period of time. That will just shatter the confidence of their customers,” he said.

Lazar believes the 787 is suffering from initial problems that face all new aircraft, including the Airbus A380, which has had cracks in the wings and engine troubles.

“I still think the problems result from how this plane is being assembled and the degree of outsourcing,” he said, though Boeing has insisted outsourcing is not a factor.

The earliest manufactured jets of any new aircraft usually have problems and airlines run higher risks in flying them first, said Brendan Sobie, Singapore-based chief analyst at CAPA-Center for Aviation. Since about half the 787 fleet is in Japan, more problems are cropping up there.

Air Canada has ordered 37 Boeing 787 jets and is scheduled to receive the first seven planes in 2014.

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